Favourable Perceptions of Electronic Cigarettes Relative to Cigarettes and the Associations with Susceptibility to Electronic Cigarette Use in Hong Kong Chinese Adolescents

Lok Tung Leung, Sai Yin Ho, Jianjiu Chen, Man Ping Wang and Tai Hing Lam
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Lok Tung Leung: School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Sai Yin Ho: School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Jianjiu Chen: School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Man Ping Wang: School of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Tai Hing Lam: School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: We investigated favourable perceptions of electronic cigarettes (ECs) relative to cigarettes and their associations with EC use susceptibility in adolescents. Hong Kong Chinese Secondary 1–6 (U.S. grade 7–12) students ( n = 40,202) were surveyed in 2014/2015 on EC use, cigarette smoking, favourable perceptions of ECs relative to cigarettes, EC use susceptibility, family smoking, and socio-demographic characteristics. Cox regression yielded adjusted prevalence ratios (APRs) of EC use susceptibility in never users, excluding those unaware of ECs. In all students, 8.9% were ever EC users, 47.2% reported favourable perceptions of ECs relative to cigarettes, such as less likely to cause accidents (25.2%) and less harmful to users (24.5%), and 28.9% did not know ECs. Among never EC users who were aware of ECs ( n = 24,663), EC use susceptibility was associated with each of the favourable perceptions, especially greater attractiveness (APR 2.84, 95% CI 2.53–3.19), and better parental (2.75, 2.41–3.15) and school acceptability (2.56, 2.15–3.05). An increased number of favourable perceptions of ECs relative to cigarettes was associated more strongly with the susceptibility ( p for trend < 0.001). Our findings inform strategies to reduce unwarranted favourable perceptions and prevent adolescent EC use.

Keywords: electronic cigarettes; perceptions; adolescents; Chinese (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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